


Reunited

by SomethingAboutAMagpie



Series: A/B/O in Space [3]
Category: Power Rangers in Space
Genre: Alpha Zhane, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Sex, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Andros, Rimming, Zhane Returns!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 16:43:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15867633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomethingAboutAMagpie/pseuds/SomethingAboutAMagpie
Summary: He’d spent too much time alone. Andros had always thought, as a mated omega, he'd never feel lonely like this again. But now he has a new team, and who knows? Two years is a long time to heal.





	Reunited

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the length on this one! I wanted to make sure it matched up with the episode. This may or may not be the end of this series, but who knows. I may get around to another part at some point.

Andros let out a sigh and relaxed a bit into his seat on the bridge. All was quiet on the Megaship with the rest of the Rangers sleeping. After everything they'd been through lately, they deserved the rest.

He’d finally started to come to terms with his new team. None of them were Zhane, of course, but at least they had his back. For the first time in two years, he wasn’t alone anymore. It was...kind of nice, to have others to talk to.

Too bad none of them knew what he’d been going through. Two years on and off of heat suppressants. Two years of trying and failing to control his urges. Two years of opening his psychic link with Zhane when he was feeling especially lonely and in need of a heat.

He’d spent too much time alone. Andros had always thought, as a mated omega, he'd never feel lonely like this again. He was supposed to be happy and whole, but his psychic link with his mate was shaky at best after so long. Zhane wasn't even up to establish a connection half the time anymore. The first few months, he’d been there every time Andros went into heat, but it had since filtered off. It soon became every other heat, and then only sporadically, when he could stand to expend the energy.

Andros had decided to go on suppressants after six months, after the second heat he’d gone through without Zhane’s voice in his head. He still had the cast, of course, but using it all alone, in the silence of the ship was heartbreaking as a mated omega. He'd noticed that his bite had begun to fade a year after Zhane went into cryo, and at that point, he’d had the equivalent of four heats in a row without his alpha to guide him. The suppressants helped, though, taking away the hot skin and the instinctual rutting, the slick, and let him focus solely on his mission. Finding Karone. Helping the galaxy.

Things he never thought he would have to do by himself.

Andros rubbed at his eyes, considering going to bed himself. He knew they had plans to collect native flora samples on Kadix in the morning, but something was eating at him. It had been nearly four months since he’d even attempted to talk to Zhane. He longed to hear his mate’s voice. Fingers brushing over what was left of his mating bite, he felt his stomach leap. He knew that none of the other Rangers had ever questioned the slight darkening behind his ear. And, having them on board had taught him one thing: Terrans didn’t experience heats or ruts.

They were, for all intents and purposes, the equivalent of betas, incapable of producing slick, or knotting, and without any of the animalistic instincts that they experienced on Andros’ home planet.

It was amazing to see something so different in those that looked so similar. He’d never thought that there were humans out there that didn’t experience presenting as a designation. He thought it was universal.

Andros had never worked up the urge to ask any of the others, but he could judge by the way they didn’t carry strong scents and the fact that none of them had had a heat or a rut in the time they’d been on the Megaship. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to mention his own physiology to them, either, but he figured they wouldn’t understand, and he didn’t have the patience to explain it.

Ashley’s incessant flirting had become a welcome distraction to the side effects of his suppressants, though. Something that brought him back into the world and out of his head. He knew it would never go anywhere, he’d been mated already, and she was no alpha. She could never satisfy his instincts the way Zhane did.

Zhane back on his mind, Andros fingered his scent gland for a moment. He missed his alpha terribly, and the thought that Zhane may never wake up came to him again, as it had many times in the last two years. He’d only ever heard stories on KO-35 when he was growing up, stories about omegas that had lost their alphas, alphas that had lost their omegas. People falling ill shortly after, passing on quickly when their psychic link went silent forever. He’d heard how they stopped being able to feel their mate’s emotions and, soon, stopped feeling their own. His father had once mentioned seeing a friend out and about, walking around like he’d been possessed, completely lost his mind. He’d barely even made eye contact with anyone else, after his omega had passed on.

Andros hoped that wasn’t his future, but the silence in his mind had already been driving him to hysterics most days. He missed Zhane’s quips, his easy happiness, his warmth and protection.

“Andros? I am sensing that your mood has dropped. Would you like something to help you sleep?” DECA’s voice was loud in the empty space, making Andros jump.

“No, no, DECA,” Andros rubbed at his chest for a moment and looked down at the floor. “Thank you. I’ll be alright.” He stood, stretching, and glanced around for anyone else that could overhear. “How is Zhane?”

The AI was silent for a moment, before she answered with, “Stable. His vital signs have not changed since last you asked.”

“Any new brain activity?” Andros asked hopefully.

“Nothing new, unfortunately,” DECA responded. Her voice was automated, but somehow managed to sound sympathetic. “He seems to be deep in hypersleep. Opening your psychic link is not recommended. He likely will not answer.”

Andros sighed softly and scuffed his boot on the floor. “Understood. Thank you, DECA,” he set a hand on the console. “I’m going to bed now.”

“Sweet dreams, Andros,” DECA went silent.

The next morning, Andros found himself irritable as they canvassed the planet. He'd already handed off the instruments to the others and allowed them to lead. He didn't feel like himself, but he blamed the heat suppressants he'd taken with breakfast. They always amplified his annoyance, made him feel anti-social.

He was ready to head back to the ship the moment Ashley placed another plant sample into his bag. He'd even begun to lead the way, ready for the cool interior of his home, when the cloaked inhabitants appeared.

The other Rangers immediately took up fighting stances, and Andros begrudgingly did as well. Of course, every excursion to a planet involved some kind of extra work. "Do you think they're friendly?" He murmured, but he already knew the answer. They never surrounded outsiders like this if they were a friendly bunch of aliens. At Cassie's confirmation of his fears, Andros caved and let his guard down a bit in defeat. "I didn't think so, either."

Instead of fighting, the Rangers turned in unison and bolted back toward the ship. Andros was glad that they were all on the same page this time. He wasn't up for a fight, not when he was on suppressants. Not only did they make him irritable, they dulled his senses. They had to, he figured, if they were going to keep him from going into heat. They made his sense of smell and touch weaker, and in turn, made him a little slower. It really wasn't fun when it came to fighting.

It was Carlos that stopped them from running when he saw how quickly their adversaries were gaining on them, how they would never reach the ship without being overtaken. Andros sighed internally and took the cue. He turned back to lead the team into a morph. Hopefully, the aliens would lose interest once they fought back and leave them to go back to the Megaship.

The others seemed to think the same. He could feel them as a unit moving instinctively toward their home, and for once, he didn't care about looking weak by backing down from a fight. It was more important at this point to save their samples and get out of orbit. Andros wasn't even sure if he'd spoken aloud, or if it was one of the others, but suddenly, they were fighting their way forward. He'd passed off his backpack at some point and hurriedly punched in the code to seal the bay doors for take off.

The five of them rushed for the bridge, but the damage seemed to have been done as they'd left the surface of the planet. Andros suddenly wished he had put off this mission until his heat had passed, worked the suppressants out of his system. If he had just told the Rangers that he wasn't up for it, that he was feeling under the weather-

He didn't have time to dwell on that thought as he beckoned the others to check the engine room. Andros took the controls at the bridge console and held on. He'd keep them in orbit if it killed him. He knew he was in no place to fight right now, and if something went wrong, he didn't feel that he could take control of the team.

He'd never felt more relieved than he did when the Megaship was stabilized a few minutes later. Andros breathed a sigh of relief and released the hold he had of the ship's controls. He knew he could trust the Rangers to fix things.

It was only when the others didn't return that Andros found himself growing worried. What was taking them so long? Surely, they would have been back on the bridge with him by now. Punching in the code for autopilot, he abandoned his place at the controls and headed for the engine room. He heard voices coming from inside, but when he entered the doorway, there was no one in sight.

But it was the tell-tale blue glow that caught his eye. In the frenzy of engine issues, the door to Zhane's cryogenic room had opened, and judging from the way the voices echoed, the other Rangers had found his secret. Andros moved silently through the room, heart pounding at the thought of having to explain himself to them.

"Who is he?" Ashley's question was clear.

Andros took a deep breath before stepping over the threshold and into the cold that he remembered so well from heats passed. "His name is Zhane," his voice was strong, much stronger than he expected with the way his heart leapt at the sight of his mate still in hypersleep. "He's..." swallowing, Andros held back the words he wanted to use,  _ my alpha, my mate _ , "the Silver Ranger."

The way the others turned, shock apparent on their faces, made Andros feel worse. He could see betrayal in Cassie's eyes, confusion in TJ's. They felt as if they had been lied to, he knew. He took a few steps, closer to the cryogenic tube. "His name is Zhane," he said again. "He's my...best friend." It was true, he supposed. Zhane  _ was _ his best friend. Most mated pairs were the same. Closer to each other than anyone else, connected in a way they weren't with another living thing. They could feel what each other felt, hear what they thought, speak silently to each other; things Andros missed as dearly as one would a physical limb. He would do anything to get those moments back. He considered reaching out in his mind for Zhane, but only for a moment, before he stopped himself. He didn't want to interrupt his healing sleep, even for a short time to feel if he was comfortable.

He told himself it wasn't because he was afraid that he wouldn't hear anything in return.

"The door was open..." Cassie finally said, softly, as if she could tell that there was something wrong with Andros. Her eyes followed him as he moved to Zhane's side and set shaky hands atop of the glass surface.

Andros could practically feel the questions being hurled silently from his team, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the prone figure in the frosted chamber. "We were a team. Invincible," he started, and suddenly he was back there.

He couldn't tell if he was still speaking as his mind replayed the battle, as it had almost every day for the last two years. The screaming, the monsters.

The way his mate jumped in front of him to take the blow meant to kill Andros.

"He saved my life that day...so I brought him here," Andros pulled himself out of his memories. The chill of the glass under his hands made his skin itch, but the omega in him refused to take them off. He was so close to his mate. So close, but so far.

"I see," TJ's voice broke through Andros' thoughts, and the warmth of his body behind him helped to bring Andros back to the room. "So you froze him in this cryogenic tube to save his life?"

Andros nodded sadly. His fingers tapped gently on the surface of the chamber. "Over time, this instrument will heal him," he forced down the want to cry. "I hope."

Carlos' hand gripped Andros' shoulder in a way that felt almost comforting. "Over how much time?" His voice was concerned, and Andros appreciated the way the team was trying to understand. If only they knew how much worse it was than all of this.

"He's been here for two years, so far," the lump in Andros' throat made it hard to continue speaking. Even with the suppressants, his dulled instincts had him longing to touch his mate. "Who knows? He may never wake up," DECA's words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. He hated the thought, told her never to speak it to him again, but he knew, after this long without Zhane reaching out to him, that it was more and more of a possibility. "But for now, this machine keeps him alive."

All was quiet for a moment. Only the beeping of the heart monitor filled the air.

Ashley was the next to speak. "Why didn't you tell us?" She sounded sincere, if a little hurt. Andros knew it was because she felt he'd hidden something from them.

Before he could answer, DECA interrupted to let them know that she had a damage report for them. Andros felt his body relax a bit in relief. He didn't know if he could tell them the reasons he didn't want them to know about Zhane. He wasn't ready to tell them about designations or his mating bite, and this was no time to discuss it. At DECA's question if she should read off the report, he stepped away from Zhane's cryogenic chamber. "No," his voice was quiet. "We're on our way up." He led the way back to the bridge, sure that his body language told the team he was not interested in discussing the matter further.

The warmth of the rest of the ship brought Andros' irritability right back up. He was in no mood to let himself remember his mate at this moment, at the way Zhane had sacrificed himself and managed to ruin Andros' life all at once. He sent Cassie back to the cargo bay for the plant samples, trying to play the role of commander once again. He needed to get himself back under control. He wondered how long it had been since his morning dose of suppressants. Surely, he would need his second dose soon. Maybe that was what was wrong with his mood.

A few moments later, all of his thoughts of medication were gone. DECA announced that the cargo bay doors had been opened, and less than a minute had passed when she added that the engines were failing.

Andros' stomach dropped into his feet as the Megaship began to list to one side. They were falling back to Kadix, and there was nothing they could do to correct it. Something must have happened to the engines when they were trying to take off the first time.

Cassie's sudden breathless entry into the room had the rest of them turning. She panted, doubled over, and looked just as shocked as the rest of them.

"Cassie, we have a faulty indicator. It said the cargo bay door was opened." Andros was trying to keep the worry out of his voice. There were too many things going wrong at once, this couldn't all be happening.

Cassie glanced up from the control panel she'd planted her hands on to breathe. "It's not faulty. We had company," she took a deep breath. "The pod from the sample we brought back? Turned into a monster."

Andros' eyes widened. A monster? On the ship?

"So I sent it out the cargo bay doors," Cassie continued, as if she hadn't said something so shocking, as if they weren't currently falling back to the surface of a planet full of aggressive aliens.

As if on cue, the ship lurched hard to one side, tilting the bridge over sharply. The teens held on tight to their stations to avoid being thrown to the floor.

"We can't escape the planet's gravitational pull!" Ashley sounded slightly panicked as she checked the energy levels. Andros could see them dropping. "We're falling back to Kadix."

Andros breathed in through his teeth and tried to calm the panic in his own head. "Prepare for emergency landing," he commanded his team. Despite the firmness of his tone, he felt anything but confident in what was happening. He could feel his skin warming up slowly. He hoped that it was just adrenaline making his temperature climb and not...the alternative. Not the activation of his biological functions.

"That's not our only problem," TJ called out suddenly, typing on his console. His keyboard command brought up a video feed on the screen. "Look at this."

The dread Andros felt seeing the monster on the side of the Megaship was enough to make him wish once more that he had put off this mission for another week. His emotions were running haywire, between his heat, the suppressants, and having to reveal Zhane to the team. He couldn't take on this, too. His stomach turned, and he felt nauseous. More nauseous than he had ever felt on suppressants. As the monster ripped open another panel, the ship bucked again. "Hold on!" Andros called out. The ride was doing nothing for his nerves. At this point, he would welcome the feral planet's surface. Anything to calm his stomach.

Kadix's sandy surface exploded across the viewscreen as they fell back into the atmosphere. Bracing for impact, Andros ignored everyone else's voices around him. He squeezed his eyes shut to will off the urge he felt to vomit. Not here, not now.

The ship skidded to a stop in the sand, kicking up a wave of the stuff and throwing the monster off. The crash had knocked out the power for a few moments before the backup generator powered on the emergency lights.

As the bridge lit back up, Andros released his death grip on his console and glanced around. The other Rangers had been thrown to the floor. He didn't feel as though he could open his mouth without losing this morning's breakfast, so he allowed the others to check on each other while he tried to get his bearings, to breathe. They were all alive. They had power. They may still be able to take off, if they could only repair the ship quickly.

"Hostile aliens approaching," DECA sounded as calm as ever, and Andros' heart dropped. They could never have a lucky break, could they?

"We're gonna need to make external repairs to the hull," TJ said quietly, looking directly into Andros' eyes as he said exactly what the Red Ranger was thinking. He glanced between the other Rangers for confirmation that they all understood the weight of this problem.

Andros nodded, leading the way back to the cargo bay. He heard his team following behind, and something told him that he never should have gotten out of bed. At least the other four were capable, and he knew he could trust them.

At TJ's request, the five of them morphed before they exited onto Kadix. Andros summoned his spiral saber preemptively. He already knew there would be trouble. And he was right, as he pointed his saber toward the monster. "There it is!"

In response, it screamed out at them in its own language, brandishing its arms into the air to call the cloaked natives to attack. They rushed at the Rangers, and Andros felt another pang of heat and sickness.

Shaking off the nausea, he led the charge into the oncoming opponents. A few of the aliens flew past them to make their way onto the Megaship. Andros called for the doors to be sealed onboard the ship to keep the intruders from getting into the command center.

So distracted was he by the fight, he almost didn't notice the distressed feeling in the back of his mind. It had been so long since he'd opened up his psychic connection with Zhane that it nearly slipped past his defenses. When it did, it left Andros ice cold. "Oh no, there's something wrong with Zhane! I can sense it!" He couldn't focus on one thing or the other, and instead put his entire self into their connection, hoping his mate would speak to him, the way he hadn't in months.

But after the initial distress, there was only silence. Nothing but quiet, no emotions to speak of at all. As if Zhane...Zhane...he couldn't be gone. He just couldn't. Andros went stiff, his spiral saber falling from his fingers into the dirt. It had been months since they'd communicated, but he still...he still thought that Zhane would, for sure, one day, wake up to be with him. That one day he'd be reunited with his alpha. "No!" He fell to his knees in the sand and slapped at the surface of the planet, ignoring the battle going on around him. All he could think of was how he'd failed. How Zhane was... "He can't be!" Panting, he reached a shaking hand for the handle of his saber, hefting it back to his side as he stood. He trained his vision on the enemy in front of him, the monster that had started it all, the one who had forced them into an emergency landing, who had cut the power of their ship.

The one that had doomed his mate to death.

"You are going to  _ pay _ for this!" Andros shouted, rage boiling in him. He'd lost his planet, his parents, his sister. Losing his mate was the last straw. He had nothing left. Recklessly, he plowed into the crowd of enemies and began to cut them down one by one.

It didn't matter what the others were doing, they could hold their own, but Andros had a reason now. His anger reached a peak as the last of the aliens in front of him fell to the ground. He had a purpose. He had to avenge Zhane.

The monster grabbed Andros about the shoulders and threw him against the ship. Andros stumbled for a moment before regaining his footing and his focus all at once. This was who he was supposed to fight. The spiral saber was heavy in his hand and threw him off-balance as he tried to strike at the monster, but it was quicker than him. He found himself knocked to the ground.

A hand on Andros' shoulder reminded him that he wasn't alone. He heard Ashley whisper his name as the team helped him to his feet once more. Of course, they wouldn't understand what had thrown him into this kind of frenzy. They didn't know who Zhane really was to him.

And he preferred to keep it that way. As Andros raised the spiral saber again, he faltered, gaze drawn to the doorway of the ship. He watched as alien after alien was tossed back into the sand. "Huh? What is going on?" He murmured to the others. Had Alpha found a way to fight them off?

But then, a white boot was visible through the doorway on the ramp, followed by a silver-encased leg.

There was no way, it couldn't be. "Zhane?" Andros called out in astonished confusion. There was still nothing but silence in his head, not a hint of Zhane's thoughts or feelings coming through their link. "It's really you?"

"Andros?" Came the reply from the man in the silver suit, and Andros felt his heart tug. He'd know that voice anywhere. It was Zhane, there was no doubt about it.

"You're alive..." Andros' voice was filled with awe. All at once, he was hit with emotions, ones that weren't his own. Confusion, recognition...protectiveness. His chest warmed at the thought. Zhane was already taking back his control, and he was ready to defend Andros once again.

"This looks like trouble." The visor of Zhane's helmet was drawn away from the team and to the monster as it shouted at him in its language. "Whatever it is you just said, I'm gonna make you eat your words." With that, he leapt into action.

The battle became a blur for Andros as he watched his mate fight, as if two years hadn't gone by at all. He barely even noticed how warm his skin had become, the way he felt as though he were floating. He sprung over a boulder to reach Zhane's side as the monster was finally subdued. "Zhane, I can't believe it! That was great!" He tried to keep his hands to his sides, unsure how much hypersleep had taken out of Zhane. He wondered how long it would take for his mate's mind to catch up to where they had been.

“Hey, thanks!” Zhane’s voice, aloud and not just in his head, made Andros want to swoon. He’d gone so long without it, he’d almost forgotten what Zhane sounded like.

“No problem,” Andros began, wanting to reach out more than ever to touch, but he remembered his promise to himself. The others didn’t need to know. “Pal,” he finished lamely.

They were interrupted by a roar as the seemingly-defeated monster arose from the ground, suddenly much bigger than he’d been just a few minutes before.

Andros felt the rest of his team behind him lowering back into battle stances, but he had other plans. “Let’s get out of here!” He placed a hand on Zhane’s shoulder and felt a thrill run through him. He could feel the warmth of his mate’s skin through his suit. He wasn’t ice cold anymore. He was real. He was  _ alive _ .

And Andros would do anything to keep him that way.

"Alpha, open up, we're coming in." Andros shouted as the team ran up the cargo bay ramp. He kept Zhane in his peripheral. Even in a high-tension fight, he couldn’t help but keep his mate in mind. He needed to be sure he was still there and not just a figment of his imagination.

He heard TJ call for DECA to lift off, but he was so distracted by Zhane's presence that he didn't have the energy to assert any authority. He gave a chuckle as he and Zhane slid to a stop and almost immediately, his mate knew what he wanted.

Zhane initiated their old handshake, the one they had come up with as children, long before they'd presented. It was something they always did together. It felt normal, it felt  _ right _ . It reminded Andros that Zhane was still there, right in front of him.

"Alright, just like old times!" Zhane’s excitement was contagious. Every part of him was bursting with happy energy. Andros could feel the emotions through their psychic link, and they overwhelmed him with joy.

"I'm sure glad to see you," Andros responded as they continued to hold onto each other’s hands. He wasn’t ready to let go. The way Zhane’s fingers felt curling around his own was so perfect, he hadn’t even realized how much he longed for such a simple touch. Two years was a long time, and nothing would be enough to fill in all of the empty space.

"You didn't think I'd abandon my best friend, did you?" A teasing tone had entered Zhane’s words. That was the alpha Andros remembered. The one that could never let a serious moment last. It was like Zhane knew that, if he didn’t, Andros would have let his emotions slip into something deeper. Something like grief.

And of course, he knew. The link worked two ways. Andros should have realized Zhane could feel the way his mood had turned just thinking about how long it had been, how much they had missed together. It hurt to think that they lost so much time, but Zhane would never let Andros feel sorrow when there was so much else to be happy for.

"Never! Come on!" Andros drew his hands out of Zhane’s to touch his shoulder. He felt a sudden quiver in his gut. Chalking it up to the suppressants from the morning, he led the way to the bridge as quickly as he could. He couldn’t abandon the team in the middle of a fight just because his mate was back. They’d have so much time to catch up later. For now, they had to take off and escape this horrible planet.

Once Andros had successfully dropped Zhane off on the bridge, he hurried to join the others in the shuttle. TJ had already made the decision for him that they would form the Astro Megazord, and for that, Andros was thankful. The way his emotions kept rolling around in his head, it was nice to let TJ take the leadership role for a while. He knew that TJ knew a thing or two about being in command.

Now, if only he didn’t feel so warm. He wished he could breathe easier in his helmet. It was starting to feel like there was something more wrong with him than his body reacting to suppressants. He began to wonder if it was something he’d eaten.

He shook off the nausea to focus on the fight. He didn’t have time to feel ill right now. Not when the team depended on him. Not when  _ Zhane _ depended on him. Once the fight was through, he could have DECA run a scan and see if there was anything she could do to help him.

Unfortunately, Andros’ lapse in focus let the monster get the upper hand. He cursed himself internally as the Megazord fell into a sinkhole. He needed to ignore his body and keep his mind on the battle at hand. He called for the Delta Megazord to help. He knew they’d be stronger if they combined, and he was right. Once they’d shifted into the Astro Delta Megazord, the monster fell easily. It was almost comical how little effort they’d needed to put in after how hard they’d fought all day.

A blessing in disguise, really, Andros decided as they powered down and the Megazords disbanded back into the ship. He was acutely aware that his skin was still very warm, and it wasn’t just his suit or the fight. Curious, he thought as they headed for the bridge. A familiar feeling that he was sure, if given the time, he could place. But there was only one thing on his mind. One person.

Zhane.

Andros could hear Zhane's voice from the command center as he walked the team back to the bridge. He paused to listen to him as he told Alpha a story from when they had first become Power Rangers.

"...big as a house, and ugly! He lifted me up, way up!"

Andros peeked into the room and felt a smile on his lips at Zhane's energy.

"I grabbed my digi morpher," he took out the morpher and opened it so that Alpha could see the buttons, "and called my silver cycle."

"As I recall, I was the one he grabbed and lifted up," Andros interrupted with a small grin, feeling nothing but pride at seeing his mate without his helmet.

Zhane turned, smiling shyly at the team. He was just as handsome as Andros remembered. "I'll have to finish this story with you later," he turned to tell Alpha.

Andros couldn't tell if Alpha answered Zhane or not. He was already zoned out of the conversation, stepping closer to his mate. He wondered if Zhane could smell the heat suppressants on him. He hoped not. "I can't believe it," he couldn't keep the smile off of his face. "Look at you!" He could finally smell Zhane, his alpha musk rolling off in waves. It made his knees feel weak, remembering the scent after so long without it.

"Andros..." Zhane tugged Andros in by the waist for a tight hug. He could feel his alpha nosing at the spot behind his ear for the scent gland under his hair. "What happened to me?" He pulled back to make eye contact. "How did we get here?"

Andros considered what he would say to that. He decided to go with the truth. "You've been in hypersleep for two years."

"Two years?" The shock on Zhane's face was easy to read, and under that, Andros began to feel his emotions again. Hurt, sympathy, protectiveness. It had dawned on him just how alone he'd left Andros. He could tell that, should they not have company, Zhane would ask how he'd been doing during his heats. A mated omega in heat with no alpha was torture.

Andros knew that pain first hand. "Don't worry!" He soothed, reaching to touch Zhane's shoulder. "I'll tell you all about it later, but, first, these are my friends." He said the word 'friends' with pride. He'd always been so closed off to anyone that wasn't his family or Zhane. He wanted his mate to know he wasn't completely lonely without him, if only to keep him from worrying.

The others began to introduce themselves, and Ashley, bless her poor, misguided heart, stepped past Andros to be the first to shake Zhane's hand. Andros could read in her body language that she found his mate attractive. Of course, it wasn't like a human could smell on him that he was already mated.

Andros smiled at her attempt to get more out of Zhane. "That's called shaking hands. That's a greeting," he teased gently, the way the others had teased him before.

Zhane gave Andros a look, one that said he would be explaining more than just what he'd done for two years later, and reached for Ashley's hand. "I knew that. I've just never met a female Power Ranger before," he responded simply, raising her fingers to his lips for a quick kiss. "It's nice to meet you." He released her and turned his attention back to Andros when the omega stepped forward again. "Two years?" There was something else in his voice now. Sadness. "The last thing I remember, KO-35 was under attack...so, what happened?"

Andros didn't know how to respond to that. At least he'd had the time to make peace with the loss of his home, his family. Zhane hadn't. "Come on," he finally said, putting a hand on Zhane's back. "I've got a million things to tell you."

Zhane allowed himself to be led from the bridge along the familiar route to the room he and Andros had shared since they’d first boarded the Megaship. He leaned into Andros’ side and snuffed at his hair again. “Is one of those things you’re gonna tell me how you’re in heat right now?” He murmured into his mate’s temple, his tone playfully accusatory.

Andros flushed pink as soon as Zhane had said it. Of course, that’s what it was. The over-warm skin, the fluttering of his stomach, the way he couldn’t stop zeroing in on Zhane for long enough to fight. Of course it was his heat. He’d forgotten to take his afternoon suppressants with all of the excitement, and the presence of his alpha had boosted the effects of his biology despite the lingering medication. How could he be so blind? “I guess it slipped my mind,” he murmured, fingers drumming on his own thigh as they walked. He breathed in sharply when Zhane’s palm found his lower back and pressed into it.

“How could it slip your mind?” Zhane responded. He picked up the pace of their walk, escorting Andros as quickly as he could into their room. “DECA, seal the door until further notice,” he commanded, hazel eyes skimming over his mate.

Andros opened his mouth to protest Zhane’s protective nature, but was silenced by a kiss. He found himself melting into his mate’s strong arms and kissing back with fervor. It almost got past him that he’d been dripping slick steadily into his uniform pants since they were on the bridge. Almost, if not for Zhane’s palm cupping his backside through them and pressing the sticky wetness back into Andros’ skin.

“How have you gone two years without me?” Zhane pulled away from the kiss. His eyes were worried now, sympathy flowing into their link, as he looked at Andros’ face. He cupped the omega’s cheeks in his hands. “What have you been doing?”

Andros swallowed softly and let his gaze fall to Zhane’s chest. “I’ve been on and off of suppressants,” he admitted. “And the first few times, you...I don’t know if you could tell what you were doing, but you...you’d talk to me, through...our connection.”

Zhane pulled Andros back in for a gentle kiss, laving his bottom lip with his tongue. “I thought I was dreaming. I didn’t even realize that...that I was in hypersleep. I had no idea I wasn’t really asleep in bed with you.”

Andros gave a soft sigh and leaned into Zhane’s touch. His alpha began to circle his thumbs on Andros’ cheekbones. “You’re here now, that’s all that matters,” his body relaxed its stance, more slick dripping into his pants. “And you can take care of me for real.”

Zhane gave a grin, despite the lingering sadness that Andros could feel through their psychic link. He hoped Zhane would stop beating himself up for what had happened. “I can do that,” he responded, reaching down to toss his digi morpher aside and power down. He shrugged out of his uniform jacket immediately. “Let’s get you dressed down, your skin is on fire,” he reached forward to help Andros out of his jacket first, and then the zipper on his shirt. “I can’t wait to get you naked. I’ve missed you.”

Andros gracefully slipped out of the shirt and began to reach for his fly. "I've missed you so much. Your cast was only good for so long," he pouted when Zhane batted his hands away from his own zipper to undo his pants. "It couldn't knot me like you do and...and I needed a knot, so badly."

Zhane hummed, dropping Andros' pants to the floor and kneeling to open his boots. "I'm sure there's somewhere in the galaxy that I can get a new one that can knot by now," he mused, easing the boots from his mate's feet. "Just to give you a replacement for if-"

"Don't," Andros interrupted as he stepped clear of all of his clothing, backing to the bed. "Don't use that word. I don't want to think of what if's ever again," he knew he was begging, but he wasn't ready to think about losing Zhane again, right after he'd woken up.

Zhane paused, glancing up at Andros from the floor as his mate sat down shakily on the mattress. "Okay," he agreed, voice soft. He began to undo his own boots. "We don't have to talk about it."

"Thank you," Andros responded. He swallowed and drummed his fingers on the mattress. It had been so long since they'd been together, he suddenly felt the old nervousness in his stomach again, warring with the fluttering excitement that usually came with every heat. He wondered if he'd be any good, if Zhane would enjoy being with him again after so long. He sure hoped so.

Zhane was undressed quicker than Andros expected, suddenly back in his personal space, and for a moment, the nervousness spiked. It had been two years since he'd been intimate with Zhane, since he'd been even close with anyone.

Zhane froze, a few inches away from Andros' face. He obviously felt the fear that his mate was feeling. "Hey, it's okay," he tried to move slowly, bringing his hands up to touch Andros' cheeks. There was sadness in his eyes when the omega flinched away from him. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Andros."

"I know that," Andros defended himself. The look on Zhane's face made his heart break. "What if...I'm not good anymore?" His face flushed in embarrassment at his own words. He hadn't meant to say anything aloud about his worries.

Zhane frowned, but let his hands fall to his own sides. He leaned back so that Andros wouldn't feel boxed in. "What do you mean?"

Andros looked away. He was still leaking slick onto the mattress, but he ignored it as best he could. "What if it doesn't feel as good as it used to?" He swallowed. His skin was still hot, the scent of Zhane in the air was intoxicating, but his over-active mind refused to let him relax into his heat the way he always had before. After two years of being on edge despite his heat, always primed for an attack, letting his guard down was proving to be nearly impossible.

Zhane barked out a laugh before he managed to cover his mouth. "Of course it'll feel good! We're mated, Andros, anything with you feels good. No matter how out of practice we get, it's gonna be great," he reached for his mate again, and this time Andros didn't flinch away from his hands. He slid his fingers gently over Andros' cheekbones and into his hair. "And if it's not? Who cares? We have the rest of our lives to get good at it again!" His hands continued their way back to his mate's ponytail until he could force the tie out of it, loosing the dual-colored locks over Andros' naked shoulders.

Andros couldn't help but grin as nothing but pure love and adoration flowed through their psychic link. He felt his brain finally loosening its hold on his body, allowing him to sit back on the bed and open his legs for Zhane to clamber between them.

Zhane took the opening, nearly tackling Andros to the mattress in his excitement to cover his face in kisses. He pressed his open lips to every available stretch of pale skin, over Andros' cheeks and neck, his chin and eyelids, and then, finally, to his soft mouth. He took his time kissing Andros' lips, coaxing them open under his tongue. He nibbled at the omega's bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth for a few moments.

Andros moaned quietly as he tried to keep up. His legs opened wider, fitting Zhane between them perfectly as he was kissed. His shaking hands found purchase on his mate's upper arms.

They rocked together, Zhane's erection digging in to the spot just behind Andros' balls. It left a sticky trail of precum over Andros' skin.

"Zhane," Andros gasped in a quiet voice, closing his thighs around Zhane's hips. He dug his fingers into his mate's arms as the pleasure began to become too much. "Zhane!"

Zhane gave a mischievous grin and rocked a little harder against the omega. "What's wrong, Andros? Need me to slow down?" He leaned down to nose at his mate's neck, trailing kisses over it until he made it to the scent gland behind his ear. "You smell so good when you're in heat," he breathed before digging his teeth into the spot that had faded while he'd been in hypersleep. He'd just have to put his mating bite back where it belonged, so that everyone else would know Andros was already mated.

Andros gave a shout of pleasure, curling into Zhane and tilting his head to give him better access. "Zhane!" He wasn't even sure what he wanted, instinct taking over quickly. His body had begun to pump slick out quicker than before; the spot he was laying in was soaked with it.

"I got you," Zhane murmured into Andros' ear. He palmed the backs of Andros' legs. "I'm gonna breed you so good. I promise," he slid himself out of his mate's embrace and nudged at him to turn over. "Trust me, okay?"

Andros rolled onto his stomach. He let out a sharp gasp when Zhane’s hands pulled his cheeks apart, baring his slick hole to the cool air of the room. He wiggled. “Zhane!”

Zhane didn’t give Andros a moment to protest, burying his face into his mate’s backside. His tongue was immediately inside of Andros and he licked up the sweetness of his slick with a low moan. He could feel his own erection leaping against the side of the mattress.

Andros whined softly, bringing a hand to his mouth to bite down on his knuckle. A full body shiver wracked him when Zhane’s tongue curled inside of him and his teeth dragged over his sensitive hole. Pleasure spiked through him, heat pulsing in his belly. It had been so long since he felt something like this. He wasn’t even sure if he could last through the sweet torture that was Zhane’s mouth.

Zhane dug his fingers into the soft flesh of Andros’ ass, drawing the cheeks wider apart so that he could fully close his mouth to his mate’s skin. He intended to give Andros as much pleasure as he possibly could to make up for the years he’d lost. He wondered distantly if his mate’s heats were the same as before, or if they’d changed while he was gone. Would Andros take longer to recover between sessions? Or would he be as insatiable, only needing a quick snack and a few sips of water to be ready to go again? He intended to find out all the same. Zhane was determined to relearn what made his mate tick, if it killed him. One thing he knew for sure, his tongue still took Andros apart. His sweet little mewls filled their living space, and Zhane couldn't get enough. His cock was hard enough to cut through steel.

Andros, for his part, was drooling over the knuckle clamped between his teeth. Had it always felt this good to have Zhane's mouth on him? He couldn't remember. It didn't really help that he was being so overwhelmed with pleasure that he couldn't hold onto a single memory for longer than a second or two at a time. Zhane didn't let up for a moment with his tongue. It continued to steadily thrust, faster and more enthusiastically as it brought him closer to the edge. He could feel his mate lapping up the sticky slick that was leaking from his hole nearly as quickly as his body produced it.

Zhane felt a quaking in Andros’ thighs. He let a hand slide down the omega’s skin to rub it gently and pulled away. “Are you close, Andros?” He murmured, voice rough. He licked his lips to savor the taste of his mate's slick on his tongue.

Andros tried to hold in a needy whine and failed, glancing over his shoulder. His long hair partially obstructed his view of Zhane, but he knew without being able to see that Zhane was pleased with himself. He'd already reduced the omega to a drooling, glassy-eyed mess of lust and instinct. He raised his hips slightly higher into Zhane's space. His cock was pulsing in time with his heart between his thighs. He was ready to explode, and he knew Zhane knew it.

Zhane grinned and grazed a hand over Andros’ backside. “Do you want me to give you a minute to cool off so I can knot you?”

Andros shivered at the thought. He gave an enthusiastic nod. Panting, his limbs shaking, Andros felt nothing but arousal through their link. Slick drenched his inner thighs with the effort of holding back his orgasm. He wanted nothing more than to erupt, but he agreed with Zhane. It would feel better if he was knotted for the first time in years, if he could come with Zhane inside of him again.

Zhane was drunk on the sweet musk of Andros’ omega scent in the air. He had to focus hard not to let his hands shake in want, to keep himself from mounting his mate immediately. He could practically hear Andros’ heart pounding in his ears and dug his teeth into his own lip to ground himself. A few beats passed before the omega’s panting calmed down to a slower rate. “Are you ready?” Zhane found himself asking. His erection twitched hard, precome spilling down the impressive length.

Andros breathed out slowly, eyes closed. His fingers dug into the cover of the bunk. “I believe so,” came the small, unsure voice from the pale body beneath Zhane. Hips raising again, Andros presented himself to be mounted. He kept his chest flush to the bed, knees tucked underneath him to keep himself stable. He tried to relax when Zhane’s hot palm found one of his cheeks and pulled it wide. The air of the room ghosting over his slick-wet hole made Andros shiver, whether from the chill or anticipation, he wasn’t sure.

“Andros…” Zhane murmured as he climbed back onto the mattress behind his mate, knees between Andros’ calves. His free hand came up to spread apart Andros’ other cheek and he nestled his thick erection into the space between them.

Andros moaned at the pressure of Zhane’s heavy cock along the crack of his ass, the weight of it pressing against his steadily-pulsing hole. “Zhane, please!” He wasn’t above begging. It had been two years since he’d managed to have a real heat, something where he’d end up fully satisfied, and the foreplay was starting to frustrate him. He knew he wouldn’t last long once he was knotted.

Zhane gave an experimental thrust along Andros’ body. The slick eased the way his cock slid up the curve of his mate’s ass, and he couldn’t help but groan. The wetness of Andros’ body mixed with his own precome made for some delicious, smooth motion, and he was tempted to continue enjoying not-quite-fucking the omega. Andros’ tiny whimper of discomfort and the pain from how long he’d already waited to be knotted flowing into their connection made him rethink that. He could always play with Andros later, he supposed.

Andros gave a mewl of pleasure when Zhane lifted his cock from the omega’s body and lined the head up to his open and shiny-wet hole. “Oh, Zhane!” He cried out as the head popped past the ring of muscle. Despite being in heat and ready to be fucked, Zhane’s erection was always surprisingly bigger than he was ready for. A few more inches, and Andros pushed his hips back to meet his mate. He’d grown so accustomed to fucking himself on the cast that he couldn’t just kneel and take Zhane at his own pace.

“Oh!” Zhane gasped in surprise as Andros shifted back, his hole swallowing down half of his cock in one go. Andros had never done that before, but he couldn’t say it upset him. No, not even close. In fact, it was hotter than it had any right to be. His omega was taking some control even in heat. He’d never heard of that happening before.

Andros hardly even noticed Zhane’s surprise through their psychic link. His brain was too clouded with lust and the need to fuck himself to orgasm. He knew, if he could just come, his mind would clear and his skin would cool, even just for a little while before he’d need to go another round. But, with Zhane back, they had all the time in the world to take care of it. “Zhane,” he breathed out, hips tilting to one side first, and then to the other. “Please, I’m so...close…”

Zhane choked in a breath. “Me too, Andros,” he responded, hands moving to his mate’s hips to pull him closer. His eyes remained on the spot where their bodies joined and he watched as his cock pushed closer and closer to the hilt. He had already nearly bottomed out inside of the omega. All he could feel was burning, wet heat around his erection, and it was the most delicious feeling in the entire world. Nothing existed to him outside of this moment. “My knot is so ready to pop,” he moaned out as he struggled to keep it under control. He couldn’t let his knot swell until he was fully buried inside of his mate. “Just need...a little more…”

Andros gave a small wail of painful pleasure when, with one more thrust, Zhane’s erection was finally fully seated inside of him. He pressed his face down to the bed to try and keep from erupting too soon. His own cock gave another, stronger pulse between his thighs, drooling precome to the bedding. He was so close, so ready, to have his needs fulfilled. “Zhane!”

Zhane grunted. He gave a tiny movement of his hips, just barely pulling out before pushing back in. He knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself, and his knot was already pushing up at the base. It was time, neither of them could hold back any longer. “I’m gonna-” he tried to warn the omega, but it was too late. With a gasp, he felt his knot swell, and with it, his balls began to draw up close to his body. He was going to fill Andros up. Mouth seeking out the spot where his mating bite still resided, he dug his teeth in hard, nearly hard enough to break the skin. He was determined to make sure that it never faded again, no matter what.

Andros cried out at the feeling of being stretched and bitten. His erection gave a jerk before he realized he was coming, soaking the bedding beneath him with a powerful orgasm.

Only seconds passed, with Andros’ body going tight around his cock, before Zhane was joining him. He gave a howl of completion as he came, spurting load after load into his mate’s waiting body. His hips twitched in time with each pulse of come, until he was finally sated.

Andros, too, whimpered his way through the last dregs of his orgasm. His body quivered in the aftermath, legs too weak to hold him up any further. He sagged into Zhane’s hands and gave a relieved sigh when his mate guided both of their, still joined, bodies down to the mattress. The feeling of his own cool come didn’t even bother him when he was rested in it. All he could process was the happy, full feeling of being knotted, being  _ bred _ , for the first time since the battle of KO-35 had stolen everything from him.

All was truly right with the world.

Zhane waited until his knot shrunk back down to pull out, never one to risk hurting his mate. He flopped over onto his back next to Andros and reached over to tuck a strand of sweaty, soft hair behind the omega’s ear. “That was amazing, Andros,” he said quietly, thumb ghosting over the dark bruise forming just near his scent gland. He could easily pick out his teeth marks, embedded into the flesh, where they belonged. “I love you.”

Andros, panting, raised his head to make eye contact with Zhane. He felt the sincerity through their connection, the affection, and it made him want to tear up with happiness. Zhane was here, living, breathing,  _ whole _ , and he still loved Andros. He gave the happiest little sigh as he closed his eyes and leaned into his mate’s touch. “I love you, too, Zhane,” he responded.

Zhane smiled. “So, how about I go grab us something from the Synthetron, and we can take another round? I’m sure your body will appreciate having a real knot to get you through your heat.”

Andros managed a half-hearted chuckle at that, playfully swatting at his mate. “I’m gonna have to talk to the team, you know. We can’t just stay holed up in here for days on end without letting them know what’s going on. They don’t even know what alphas and omegas are.” And, for once, he wasn’t nervous to tell them. With Zhane back, he felt that familiar confidence that the alpha exuded into their connection. He was sure he could clearly explain their biology without feeling on the spot.

“Are you serious?” Zhane sounded incredulous as he stood up from the bed and stretched. “How do they even mate then? How do they know whose body chemistry works with theirs?” Reaching for his pants, he tugged them on. “You’ve got to be joking. There’s no way humans from another planet don’t have alphas and omegas in their species. That would be ridiculous.”

Andros laughed softly. “You’d be surprised,” he smiled before stretching. He rolled onto his back. “I could use some lunch, though, and maybe another round. I’m not done with you yet.”

Zhane gave a cheesy grin at the notion. “I’ll get right on that. For now, you just lay there and look good. I’ll be back in no time!” He did up his pants and, ignoring the rest of his uniform, hurried out the door to retrieve food for the two of them.

Andro gave a grateful sigh and relaxed onto the bed. The team could wait to hear from them. After all, with the ship repaired and the monsters fought, he deserved a break. And he intended to milk his heat with Zhane for all it was worth.


End file.
